New Judges at Severnside!

Am extremely proud to report that Brendan Sweeney, Sue James and myself are now fully qualified KC agility judges!! Thank you Dave for a very enjoyable and informative weekend, and our wonderful handlers & dogs who turned up on Sunday afternoon for us all to judge, despite the horrible weather conditions!

Today I'm grateful for the great family & friends I have who supported me in becoming an agility judge!

Photo from Severnside demo

Here's my darling little toddler Jamie, thumb in mouth, tired out from a lovely day demonstrating agility at the RSPCA's dog show in Ashton Court - the dogs were brilliant and are enjoying a well earned break in the waterhole. Thanks to Fiona Melford for the great shot! :-)

Prestbury Park

What a lovely venue! It took around an hour and a quarter to get there, but was really lovely so will definitely want to enter next year. We worked a ring for Sue Yeo (Severnside's club chairwoman) with some great camaraderie, leg pulling and general merriment - lots of fun! One of the great things about the show was the fact that there were 4 runs per dog each day. Saturday started with the Team Dash event - 5 for a missed weave entry (handling error on my part), and 5 for a knocked pole - must keep mouth shut whilst Ella is jumping! Agility was next, 3 lovely held contacts, 12 weaves - trouble was in trying to straighten her up for the dog walk I sent her into the tunnel. A shame; as E's go it was a good 'un! Some great work in the collie jumping, just couldn't keep it up towards the end and made another E. Jumping at the end of the day was a good course (Sue Yeo's!) but messed up weaves part way through. Later investigation showed that during the day dogs had dug up the ground around the weaves and they weren't very straight at all. Not a great design of weaves really, Adams Agility don't normally have that issue. Last but not least, my gorgeous Kai-kai gave me a clear in the Any Size - broke his wait on the startline, but responded so well around the rest of the course I didn't have the heart to chastise him much. Never mind, some good things to go forward into Sunday with.

Only managed 3 of my 4 runs today - no exciting news either I'm afraid! Knocked bar in the Agility for 5 faults, but 3 perfect contacts and clean 6 weaves. Pairs jumping, perfect 12 weaves but so excited about that I didn't control her into the jumps that followed - durhh! Nice round otherwise though. Lastly, missed walking the 3-5 Agility so watched a few dogs go round before we had to leave and joined the queue. Didn't handle it as well as I would have liked, but did okay - until the last jump when I relaxed too early and pulled her off the final jump. Oooh could have kicked myself! Not desperately unhappy though - another perfect 12 weave poles. 100% record today - my clever girlie! :-))

Next weekend is Ella's first Grade 4 classes, which should be exciting. My plan this week is to be well rested going into the weekend, as I've been more tired than usual this weekend and I think it's shown in my handling. This years show campaign is nearly at a close so I just need to find some reserves to get me through these last few shows, and then I can rest up and take a little time off.

Today I am enormously grateful for the privilege of competing with two of the best dogs in the world, and doing so alongside such great friends and their precious dogs.

Weave re-training progress report

Now I've been a bit slack in getting the clips onto the computer to share, with the result that I'm not sure of the order we did them in any more! However they have been useful to me as I've been looking at them back and working out our success percentage after each session. Just quietly, I'm very, very pleased with how it's going. Last night at Severnside club training I upped the ante again and put out two sets of six poles. Accurate and fast, just how I want her - so excited! The only distraction that I've been able to find to pull her out of the poles is throwing her toy early, but even then after a couple of tries she realised she had to stay in until she'd finished to earn her reward. I can swing her toy around in circles & squeak a squeaky toy right by her, but she just ignores me until she's done. Seriously impressed.

We're not at 100% yet though, the really tough entries (between 10-12 & 2-12) are still catching her out, but I'm using the first set of 2x2 poles to help her. By angling them just slightly to make the entry more inviting it really helped her to get the idea. Now I just need to work on me and we're ready for competition! I say work on me, because I'm still quite nervous about her actually doing it in the ring. Watching videos back from last weekend, I realise that I turn into a frightened rabbit when we reach the weaves in a course - not at all like the loud and enthusiastic training partner she's had to put up with all week! So the goal this weekend is to treat the weaves in the course just like I would at training. Nice early command, driving towards them, and cheering when she's doing them. We may make mistakes, but without making any mistakes it's difficult for her to distinguish exactly what is correct. And I know longer think to myself, 'we'll get there' as was a favourite saying of everyone's to me. I now believe that we're there :-)

Further 2x2 progress reports

At our 6th session on the 2x2's we were training at Martin Tait's venue, and I forgot to bring my video camera away with us! So I was back to record keeping as we went along rather than the luxury of watching the footage back and recording from that.

It's going really, really well and I'm so pleased with our progress. Ella's attitude to the weaves seems to be changing before our very eyes - she's more thoughtful and seems to have a much better understanding of what I want from her in the weaves. We've now taken our weaving show on the road and been to both Martin Tait's outdoor venue and Severnside's indoor venue at Urchinwood Manor. I didn't anticipate any problems at Martin's, but did wonder if the indoor venue might over excite her and cause her to make silly mistakes. So it was great to see that she was still very focused and driven to succeed - just what I'm after!

Our next session will be the 11th time we've worked on the 2x2's and I'm going to move to 6 poles. I intend to really work the arc and rotate the poles slightly if necessary to help her achieve the entries. Later on today I hope we'll get to do a 12th session, and I'm aiming to stick with 6 poles but crank up the distraction of what I'm doing - running, taking off on a tangent, stopping suddenly, playing with a toy - anything to try and get mistakes that we can work through.

Today I'm so grateful for my wonderful dog who is teaching me so much about dog training this week, her great attitude to working with me, and her willingness to try new things. In truth I don't think it's just dog training I'm learning about this week :-)

Lansdown Action

Thanks to Martin Tait for capturing some of Ella's runs for me:

Another Lansdown done and dusted

Exhausted! But very pleased by how well another Lansdown show went, it's a real credit to both Severnside & Clifton agility clubs. Had a good day yesterday with a positive G1-2 Agility run (weave issue still there sadly!), and a fabulous (even if I do say so myself!) clear run in the Pedigree team event. Oooh she's good :-) Plus we were shades off winning the G1-2 Jumping at the end of the day, but my dozy dog ran over the last but one jump to the start line to find her toy for a job almost well done! Still, was very proud that Mark Douglas who was judging sought me out afterwards to tell me what a cracking round it was. She is a good girl, if a little dozy at times :-))

Today didn't quite pick off where we left off yesterday evening. Martin watched our rounds and felt she 'bullied' me into letting her do the weaves, so she wasn't controlled enough as she entered them and therefore made mistakes. I'm trying to take comfort from the fact that she now seems to be getting her entries okay, it's just bending back to complete them properly that's the problem now. Back to the drawing board!

However disappointed I might be not to have won a rosette this weekend though, I'm delighted at how many Severnside club members picked up. Notably one of the small Pedigree teams - 4 clear rounds earnt them first place and a place at Crufts 2010!! So we had a lovely pizza party with champagne on Saturday night to celebrate - it felt like a great achievement for the club, even those who aren't exactly small dog happy :-)) Then today, Caroline and Milo only went and won G2 Agility - she was shaking with excitement telling everyone, it was so lovely to see! Also Jan & Ruby went and won the G1 Jumping as well as being placed elsewhere too, Rhi & Jess placed, Rhi & Abbey placed, Helen & Eko won G3 Agility - I'm sure there were others but I'm so tired I can't remember properly!

So today I'm grateful for a lovely sunny weekend for our club show, the good fortune that shone on my friends, and my fantastic fabulous family for supporting me in what I love to do best. Great weekend all round really - roll on next year!!

Golden Valley DTC Show

As I write this we're nearer Lansdown agility weekend than Golden Valley now, and I can't honestly tell you where the week has gone! We camped at Worcester last weekend along with Helen & Hattie next door for the first time. They enjoyed their weekend away and took away several placings - ladies I apologise profusely for not remembering exactly what! This is why I should write things down :-)

I do remember my own, if only because I have the rosettes on the dresser to remind me! Sue James & I ran in the pairs on the Saturday and came 2nd which was very exciting, and quite unexpected really. Ella's weaves were a bit dubious last weekend and there were 6 poles in the pairs class. But we did them, which I have to admit did cheer me up - well done Sue for not letting me back out of running her. Sunday was more positive again - 4 clears in the Team Dash for Severnside Red (or Green, memory failure again!) led to a 4th place, and just outside qualification for the final. Ella & I ran last and I didn't watch the others run, just focused on us. I'm glad I didn't realise everyone else had gone clear, I don't think it would have been good for my nerves :0)) Finally, Ella & I came 3rd in the Collie Sprint class (jumps & tunnels - no weaves - bliss!), with plenty of room for improvement on our time. It's nice to know she's competitive time-wise despite her handler ;0)

Ooh and that wasn't quite all - Hazel Tait let me run her Molly in the G6-7 Agility. Brain went a bit mushy as it was this run and then home, but I drove at the equipment and don't think I did too badly. Martin Tait may disagree though :-)

Anyway, have lots of agility thoughts that I'd like to write about, but have training this evening in Hinton so must go and have tea otherwise I'll be starving and won't be able to concentrate.

Wye Valley

Just back from the most stunning weekend at Wye Valley's show - it's just the most beautiful venue! We've been blessed with sunshine, and after burning at last week's UKA show I'm pleased and proud to say I remembered the suntan lotion and I'm not my normal shade of red after a weekend in the sunshine!

No exciting winning news I'm afraid - Saturday felt a little like a warm up and Ella grew faster with each round. This morning she was a little on the bonkers side and as well as our usual niggles with the weaves, was self-releasing on contacts - almost unheard of!! Silly girl didn't want tea on Saturday night or breakfast Sunday morning, so I think she was running on nerves. I have some tricks up my sleeve to persuade her to eat for the next one - some wet food mixed into her normal ration will probably do the trick. The plus side of her lack of reserve was her speed which although bordering on out of control (!) showed me just what the rest of the season might hold. Fingers crossed anyway!

So just two clear rounds in the jumping today, and slow because of me making her 'Down' in front of the weaves. Working on a training plan which I can fit in around the boys, but should be able to come up with something.

Today I'm grateful for my wonderful if slightly mad (!) agility partner Ella, my fellow Severnside club mates for a fun alfresco dinner on Saturday night together, and my family for coming away to support me in my agility dreams.

Happy Thought

Whilst updating the Severnside website (http://www.severnsidedac.co.uk/) I edited and uploaded some photographs that a friend had taken at a recent league match. Naturally my favourite was the one I found of my own little girl; Ella waiting at the start-line for her release command. Cool, poised, ready for action just as she always is - I'm not sure why it so moved me, but it did.

Then it struck me as I moved away from the computer to go and find some dinner - both she & Kai jumped up ready to go, eager to be with me, hopeful that they might get asked to do something. We agility competitors are lucky in many ways, but the thing that strikes me the most is how it makes an potentially ordinary relationship with a dog into something quite extraordinary. Not only are they my talented and willing agility dogs, but they are also (and far more importantly) the dogs I am privileged to share my life with. Our agility isn't the be all and end all (as Kai proves each moment), but through training for it we have grown to know each other in ways we simply wouldn't have if they were merely pet dogs. For that I shall be forever grateful, despite the aching pain I know lies ahead when we shall have to be parted. These happy days make that sadness all worthwhile. Better to have loved and lost as they say, than never to have loved at all.